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The Official 2011 Boston Red Sox Thread

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by Ray Finkle, Nov 10, 2010.

  1. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Good luck to the Sox in the upcoming series here in Cleveland. I'm going to try to make it to at least one game, with the Tribe's pitching staff, and record low attendance, it is almost guaranteed that everyone at the park gets a home-run ball.
     
  2. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I actually watched a lot of the Sunday White Sox/Indian game and was shocked at the lack of people in the stands. Very depressing. It's a shame because the Indians do have a nice/fun history to them. I wish they were better and the Jake (I refuse to call it by their new name) was packed each night like in the mid 90s.
     
  3. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Yeah and it is a beautiful park - if you ever get a chance to catch a game it is great.

    But the fan support is terrible. Trading back-to-back Cy Young winners and cemented this team as the third banana in town. Fans don't seem to understand that as a small market team there is no way to be competitive on a consistent basis.

    I'll be at the game tomorrow night - anything I should keep an eye out for from this Boston team?
     
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  4. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Well with the way the pitching was in the first 3 games, if you're sitting in the OF you make be able to catch a HR. Being serious though, the Sox have a very good team regardless of what they did in the first 3 games. It should be fun watching Pedroia, Crawford, Youkilis and Gonzalez hit. You're in luck seeing Beckett pitch over Matsuzaka. If you can you should try to catch Lester in person, the kid is just a great pitcher (although his track record in April has been horrible).

    Have fun though, should be good games.
     
  5. GreenMonster

    GreenMonster New Member

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    U-C-O-N-N , Uconn, Uconn, Uconn. That's where my mind has been the last few weeks, which was nice because the Sox are playing awful right now. The only guys that have even looked decent are A-Gon, Ortiz, Jenks and Albers.
     
  6. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Yeah I can't see Reyes still on the team when the calendar turns to May, he hasn't been able to get anyone out. Where's Okajima when you need him?

    The team has been playing like crap, there are no excuses. I still think they will be fine in the long run since the season is only 5 games deep but right now it's a pretty pathetic string of games and the next few don't get any easier.
     
  7. Roman529

    Roman529 Senior Member

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    Yeah another LOSS.
     
  8. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    While I'd love to respond with a whitty comeback, when the team you root for is 0-5 and has looked like crap outside of a handful of players I guess you have to sit back and take it. I'm actually surprised more people aren't coming into this thread to bash the team.
     
  9. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Well with the line-up the Tribe is trotting out there today, and how hard Carmona got hit in his first start, today should be an easy win for the Red Sox.

    If the weather stays nice Carmona could have a nice game, but the Sox are the team that showed you can let his sinker drop out of the zone - and if he leaves it up for a strike you can send it over the wall. Bad match-up for the Indians today.
     
  10. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Between The Numbers

    Fun with selective endpoints!

    by Colin Wyers

    Did you know? Only two teams have begun the season 0-5 and made the playoffs! It's, like, math and stuff!
    Okay, let's put this into some context. Going back to 1974, 68% of World Series teams had at least one five-game losing streak. If we look at all playoff teams, that number creeps up to 70 percent. (Counterintuitively enough, if you only look at World Series winners, the percentage goes up to 75%. Ah, the joys of small sample sizes.)
    If you keep going down the line:

    • 39% of all playoff teams have had a losing streak of at least six games,
    • 20% of all playoff teams have had a losing streak of at least seven games,
    • 9% of all playoff teams have had a losing streak of at least seven games.
    The longest losing streak ever sustained by a playoff team over that timespan? The '82 Atlanta Braves lost 11 games in a row and still made it to the playoffs.
    It's just that normally these sorts of streaks happen in the middle of the season, where they're a lot harder to notice. But the timing of the streaks (or even the order of the wins and losses at all) doesn't affect whether or not a team makes the playoffs, only the number of wins and losses do. Teams that have started 0-5 have dug themselves a hole, sure, but a perfectly manageable one. There's no reason for Red Sox or Rays fans to give up hope just yet. (Astros fans... there are probably plenty of reasons to give up hope just yet, but you knew about most of those before the season started.)


    p.s....this cracks me up:
    tumblr_lj5wkcXIi01qapgsdo1_500.jpg
     
  11. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Oh tomorrow's opening day at Fenway Park should be fun. At least the law of averages says the Sox are bound to win sooner or later.
     
  12. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    now 0-6 is a whole other ballgame...LOL.....smh, shocked at what is happening to start the season. But all that can change if Beantown wakes up in time for Bronx Bombers!
     
  13. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

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    Everyone panic!
     
  14. Rocky Raccoon

    Rocky Raccoon Greasepaint Ghost Staff Member

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    WTF is going on Finkle?

    That wasn't the Indians from Major League dude.
     
  15. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I'm not panicking but I'm annoyed. They just haven't played good consistent baseball at all yet. I'm not worried about the 0-6 start or any of the no team has ever done X starting out 0 for whatever, I think those stories are silly. If the Sox lost 6 in a row in the middle of the year no one would be going nuts yet. With that being said it's time they start winning baseball games now. It doesn't get any easier with the Yankees, Tampa and Toronto coming to town.
     
  16. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    That's baseball for you. Any team can win or lose on any night. Lester pitched great, but Carmona pitched just as well. The bats haven't been there at all this year with only Gonzalez hitting well in the 6 games so far. Things will get better. The Sox aren't going to finish in last place much like how Baltimore won't finish in 1st. It's the start of the season so everything is under the microscope. A lot can change in a week (i.e. a week ago the Sox were favorites to win it all but now they're the worst team in baseball).

    And the Indians from Major League were pretty good, making the playoffs back to back years and reaching the WS in the 2nd year (no clue if they ended up winning it all or not).
     
  17. Rocky Raccoon

    Rocky Raccoon Greasepaint Ghost Staff Member

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    I know they were good, that was my point. This Indians team is not that good, thus you should beat them.

    Duhhhhhhhhhh.
     
  18. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Oops my fault, my reading skills there were about as good as Darnell McDonald's base running in the 9th.
     
  19. screamer

    screamer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    We need our bats to come alive! Then maybe the pitching will follow.
     
  20. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    This past Sunday (the 3rd) I was joking around with my buddies and said "The Sox wont win their first game until Friday, when they walk off against Rivera..." I was joking.....kinda.....yeah so well you guessed it!!

    The Sox will be fine, they will go back home, where the fans are supportive, and the outfield walls are shorter, and the hits and wins will come....Dont worry or get annoyed with the Sox, they aren't going anywhere...the Sox traditionally dont play that well on the road, and are lights out at home...this isnt new...
     
  21. muscle979

    muscle979 Season Ticket Holder

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    I think they're really helping other currently underachieving teams like Atlanta feel a little better about themselves.
     
  22. PhiNomina

    PhiNomina White-Collar Redneck

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    Hard to feel too bad for you Sox fans after what you did to my Tribe in the '07 ALCS.

    I mean seriously, we haven't won a championship in 62 years. IN ANY SPORT.

    With the Celts, Pats and Sox in town, you couldn't spare ONE trophy?

    Jerks.
     
  23. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I agree no one should feel sorry for the Red Sox or their fans.
     
  24. Skeet84

    Skeet84 New Member

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    Agreed.

    Also I am definitely not a fan of the Pats or Celtics.


    Red Sox playing horrible but the good news (yes there is some) is that Beckett and Lester turned it around and pitched great.

    Bats really need to wake up but the good news is that Ortiz doesn't look terrible like he has the last 2 yrs for the first two months.

    We may be going after a catcher pretty soon. I am not saying right now cause they will try and let Salt work out of his slump. Bengie Molina might come back for the right amount.

    Alfredo Aceves was scratched from his scheduled start on Thursday in Triple A. Look for him to be called up and my guess is McDonald will be sent down.
     
  25. Rocky Raccoon

    Rocky Raccoon Greasepaint Ghost Staff Member

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    :lol:

    Ever hear of the Green Monster?
     
  26. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Because its a birthright to toss gas on a fire when it comes to Yanks vs. Sox lovefest:

    :tongue2:
     
  27. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    Next season maybe the Sox should use the month and a half in Florida to, you know, get ready for the season.. as opposed to yapping amongst each other about how they'll be winning 100 games.
     
  28. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Matt Albers is getting put on the DL with Aceves getting called up. Also I know it was just 1 Triple A game but both Okajima and Hill pitched well last night. I personally think Reyes is dead weight (pun intended) and his days are numbers.

    And no, if the Red Sox sign Benji Molina to be our everyday catching it means something is terribly wrong and everyone is hurt. Let Saltalamacchia play. With the potential of the Sox offense we can afford to have our catching bat in the .240 range as long as he's giving us good defense, which so far he is doing a pretty good job behind the plate.

    And Darnell McDonald can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers first, because he's out of options. And I bet he'd get claimed by a team.
     
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  29. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I don't know I think that is sort of overrated theory on why the Sox haven't played well out of the gate. They played a good team in Texas who hit everything out of the park and the bats just got cold in Cleveland. A lot of their advanced stats are well below league average meaning they have been running into a lot of bad luck as well. I believe their BABIP is around .200 to .210, that number is going to go up quickly.
     
  30. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    He did? The final line wasn't terrible, but you'd have a hard time convincing me that he looked good. That lineup in Cleveland, aside from Choo and Santana, was about as close to a Triple-A lineup as you'll ever see and Beckett generated all of (I believe) 7 swings-and-misses. His velocity was way down (though that's been the case across the entire rotation) as well. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to his start on Sunday night, as the Yankees have made a habit of pounding him in recent years.

    Also, I'd hope Dennys Reyes gets sent packing at some point in the immediate future. That performance on Wednesday night is the type of outing that gets you DFA'ed.
     
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  31. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    It is not an opinion that they weren't ready to start the season -- its a fact.

    Francona should absolutely take some of the blame for not having this team ready on opening day. This isn't an isolated incident, either. They've started slow the past 3 seasons (though none of them have been quite this dreadful).
     
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  32. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    It's Francona's fault that the bats couldn't score runs in Cleveland? Or that the pitching was awful in Texas?

    Good point about slow start in 2009 when they were 2-4 after 6 games, 2-6 after 8 and then at the end of April were 14-8. A lot can change in a week or so. Last year they stunk too in April and with all the injuries still won 89 games (and had the same record as the AL Champions to boot). I think this is just a massive overreaction to a slow start.
     
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  33. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    When your 'Captain' doesn't understand what qualifies as a force play, the team collectively has its head up its ***. The entire friggen team is to blame and I'm not saying Francona is more at fault than the players, but he certainly shares in some of it. That is my only point.

    The fact that they weren't ready to play on opening day is not even debatable, Finkle. Cmon now.
     
  34. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    Varitek said he never saw Youkilis touch 3rd base, no? I mean either way it is a mental mistake, not defending it.

    I just think the excuse they weren't ready to play is a little weak. Can't we give Texas some credit for hitting the crap out of the ball for 3 days? I mean the game was tied 5-5 going into the 8th with our best reliever on the mound, who then got pounded. I think a better example was the first 2 games in Cleveland where the team was swinging at everything and stopped making the starting pitcher work.

    I mean is being out played the same as not ready to play?
     
  35. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    ummm yes I live 40 miles from it, and it is in short left and left center field......
     
  36. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    BREAKING NEWS: Sox DFA'ed Reyes and called up Felix Doubront

    Also the line up today is what I always wanted for the Sox line up to be in minus Lowrie not hitting 7th and Ellsbury batting 8th instead of 9th:

    Crawford
    Pedroia
    Gonzalez
    Youkils
    Ortiz
    Drew
    Saltalamacchia
    Ellsbury
    Scutaro
     
  37. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    They ran into a buzzsaw in Texas -- they never fare well in that ballpark. I get it.

    But to get swept by Cleveland? The same Indians team whose lineup was featuring Adam Everett (he of the career .640 OPS variety) on Thursday? Completely unacceptable. They were creating new ways to lose during that series.

    Which leads me to the question -- why are you (and by you, not necessarily you but the general media) so sure it turns around this weekend? What if Lackey gets bombed (again) this afternoon? Do you have confidence in Beckett on Sunday night (against his recent daddy)? The fear isn't necessarily so much 0-7 as it is dropping say 19 of 26 games. That's the type of stretch that can toast your season regardless of whether it happens in April/May or August/September. In order to eliminate that worry, the team needs to remove its head from its *** soon.

    FWIW, this is the worst I've seen Youkilis look since he's become a regular. He's never consistently given away at-bats -- I think he could use a day off to clear his head. What really concerns me though is the potential suckitude of 3/5ths of the starting rotation. That's a legitimate concern that isn't going away anytime soon.
     
  38. Ray Finkle

    Ray Finkle Member

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    I don't think I ever said the team is going to turn around this weekend because I personally think they're going to lose 2 out of 3 to the Yankees. But I do think being at home this week is obviously going to help this team a lot. I just think it's way too early to go nuts about this slow start. Of course I wish they were 6-0 to start the year or even 3-3 but they're not. Are you really concerned about the Yankees rotation though? I mean CC is a very good pitcher, but outside of him can't you say they have the exactly same concerns with their next 4 guys? I mean I really think the Sox and Yankees are overall pretty even, I can't see them running away with the East. Can't the Sox easily bomb both Hughes and Nova, the way the Yankees could hammer Lackey and Beckett?

    And yes I agree about Youkilis and I was going to bring him up. I wonder if the thumb is more of a concern than anyone is letting on. Of course it could just be him trying to do too much to get the team going.
     
  39. FaninPatsyLand

    FaninPatsyLand The Truth

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    Can't remember a time where Tito tinkered with the lineup this much over such a short period. Crawford now hitting in his, what, 4th different spot through 7 games?

    At least we'll all be spared of the extra Ellsbury PA.
     
  40. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    No worries cuz if Hughes his 89MPH, and not being able to spot his offspeed stuff like last game show up, he will offer a sweet remedy....
     

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